Yesterday’s first gratitude journal entry: Thank You, God, for Christmas and all it’s meaning. Yesterday’s second entry: Thank You that it’s over for another year.

To quote my dear old dad, I’ve had about all the fun I can stand.

I need to WORK, for one thing. For me, writing is like breathing, and my soul seems to smother a little when I can’t spend enough time in my imagination, making discoveries about characters and places–getting insights, having adventures. It’s a great job.

Are you joining those of us in the blog family and keeping a gratitude journal? I hope so. Later on down the trail, we can compare notes.

On New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day–not sure which–I’ll be writing about the Desire Mapping experience, rather than setting resolutions, which never seem to work for me. In a way, this is an experiment–let’s give this “feeling thing” a try. At intervals, we’ll discuss our progress.

Finally, I’d just like to boast that I am beginning my third tripthrough the Bible this year, with Brian Hardin at www.DailyaudioBible.com

Although I made many attempts to read my way through various one-year Bibles in the past, I always seemed to get bogged down somewhere in the Old Testament. After the great stories in Genesis and Exodus, of course, one lands squarely in Leviticus, and that’s hard going. (I don’t run into the same challenge with the New Testament, not until Revelations, that is, but being an all-or-nothing kind of gal, I wanted a whole Bible experience.)

I found what I was looking for when I “accidentally” came across the Daily Audio Bible podcast. Brian not only has a very nice voice, but he explains a lot of things in his brief but wonderful commentaries, and his prayers are genuinely heartwarming. Most podcasts are followed by call-in prayer requests and ‘praise reports’ from other DAB members, and after a while, you start feeling as if you know the regulars, like Viola and Blind Tony and “Annette from Oklahoma City”. There are joyous calls, sad calls, and calls that make me roll my eyes–hey, I never claimed to be anywhere near perfect :)–and they come in from all over the world. I always send up a prayer for the caller, as do millions of other members, and may I just say, there is real power in so many prayers being offered at once. If you start listening to the podcast, you will hear miraculous things. And your own life will change, slowly, subtly, but definitely. On the DAB, every new year has a theme word; in 2012, when I started, the word was “shift”, 2013 was “rhythm”, and 2014 will be “return.”

I love that–because I so often wander, and need to ‘return’ to God, not so much because I’m rebellious as because I am so easily distracted. I have ADD and I’m a Gemini, and the combination gives me a tendency to bounce from one project or idea to another.

I mean well, but still.

Enjoy your weekend; rest if you can.

And get ready for the new contest beginning on Monday. As ever, there will be two winners, chosen at random. ONE winner will receive a copy of Danielle LaPorte’s wonderful book, THE DESIRE MAPPING EXPERIENCE, along with a signed copy of BIG SKY SECRETS. The second winner will get BIG SKY SECRETS and a small but fun surprise.

I would also like to read/hear the daily audio Bible – how do you sign up for it? Know what you mean about getting bogged down in the Old Testament! I would usually skip over to Psalms. I need to keep a praise journal as well, even though I voice my praise & thankfulness daily

Hi Zola,
This is Jenni, Linda’s assistant. You should have received an email from me yesterday (technically it comes in Linda’s name). Maybe check your spam folder. If not, you can email your address to llmfb@msn.com and I’ll get your prize out in the mail to you. Thank you so much and congratulations!

I have never read the whole Bible. I can never remember where I left off the last time, so I keep starting over again. Most of the time, I just start reading where ever it opens. I read my Mama’s Bible and I don’t take her markers out, and that is why I never know where I stopped last time, because I won’t move hers. And, most of the time, it opens to where ever she went to the most.

One of the things she wrote, in several places, in several Bibles is the scripture about stopping bleeding.

I am looking forward to a quiet weekend. Since I am a single mom to 11 year old twins (a boy and a girl) I was too busy. My kids were great. they handle me running out ( with them) to various stores and such for last minuet gifts and such. They usually hate going shopping with me. So this weekend we will just enjoy a quiet weekend.

Please think about a new Mojo book, just reread the first two and I really want and need to see what happens with Mojo and Tucker, Jolie and Greer and the dead guy, Max. Come on, please give us more!!! Thanks.

What a positive post to read. Congrats to the lucky winners.
I really love your Dad’s quote. :0 Loved Big Sky Wedding and I’m looking forward to Big Sky Secrets. Hope everyone had a Blessed and wonderful Christmas and have a safe and Happy New Years.
Carol L

You are blessed to win, congratulations to you both. We just got home from a week with both our girls who live in the Everett, WA area. Good to spend time with them and those grandchildren and some greats too. We went to a thrift store the day after Christmas and I bought 20 books for 25 cents a piece. Some of your ealier books, Linda that I somehow have missed and some Debbie Macombers I had missed and some others that all sounded goo. That will keep me going for a little while anyway. No snow on Snoqualmie Pass. The ski slopes are snowless. Good driving but sorry for the vendors in the ski area. I got my salt water fix with a drive to the water front. The Aircraft Carrier – Nimitz was at the naval station. One big ship. Fun to see. Glad to be home though.

Happy Monday Linda and fellow readers. Glad to read that you had an enjoyable Christmas with your family and friends. Sorry to hear about your turkey pan leaking; hate a mess in my oven.
I appreciated your comments about how special this time of year is as we too had a beautiful service at our church on Christmas Day. The readings, music and fellowship were wonderful and uplifting. I also read “Heaven is for real” over the holiday and the story so moved me and when we saw “Saving Mr Banks” over the holiday, I see they are making a movie on this book. I hope they don’t ruin the story as it is beautiful and I think a good read for any one. Wishing everyone a healthy and Happy New Year.

I have never tried reading or listening to the bible every day for a year. I tried reading the book that covers the bible in 24 hours. I did not do very well with it. i have signed up for the Daily Audio Bible pod casts per your recommendation. This is something I hope to begin on New Year’s Day. Wish me luck!